Former CBS 60 Minutes executive producer Bill Owens is officially making the leap into the rapidly expanding creator economy, marking a major career transition after decades within the traditional broadcast news ecosystem. Owens is joining the innovative media startup Newpress to serve as its executive producer, bringing his decades of television journalism pedigree to the digital-first landscape.
The high-profile appointment arrives as Newpress is successfully securing $12 million in a robust funding round. The investment is being led by Laurene Powell Jobs’ Emerson Collective and features participation from a roster of prominent media executives and industry leaders. Among the investors backing the ambitious venture are Jesse Angelo, CEO of Checker Media; David Leavy, former COO of CNN Worldwide; and Brent Montgomery, CEO of Wheelhouse Entertainment. Additionally, Patrick Steel, the former CEO of Politico, is joining the financial backing group and taking a seat on the company’s board of directors. Popular YouTube creator and digital entrepreneur Mark Rober is also participating as an investor in the growing enterprise.
Newpress was originally founded by Johnny and Iz Harris, a husband-and-wife duo who have established themselves as prominent YouTube filmmakers and digital storytellers. The company already incorporates Johnny Harris’s widely followed current YouTube channel, which is known for deeply researched, visually striking explainers on global history, geography, and current events. With the fresh infusion of capital and heavyweight executive leadership, Newpress is preparing to launch a handful of new digital shows over the coming months. Looking further ahead, the company’s long-term strategic goal is to build out a robust network of 12 to 16 distinct channels, each spearheaded by independent creators who are recognized subject matter experts in their respective fields.
In his new role as executive producer, which he officially assumes on March 1, Owens will work directly with all of the platform’s creators to help develop compelling new programming and significantly elevate their production quality. This venture represents Owens’ very first professional role since his departure from 60 Minutes last year, where he oversaw some of the most rigorous and celebrated investigative journalism on American television. His transition underscores a broader, ongoing industry trend where legacy television veterans are increasingly recognizing the immense reach, cultural relevance, and storytelling potential of digital creator platforms.
Reflecting on his decision to join the startup, Owens expressed immense enthusiasm for the partnership and the unique mission of the company. In getting to know Johnny and Iz over the past year, he noted that he has been continually struck by the remarkable sophistication they bring to their digital storytelling. He emphasized that he could not be more excited to formally join forces with them, noting that the collaboration presents a rare and valuable opportunity to merge the highest standards of traditional, rigorous broadcast journalism with a genuinely fresh and modern media model.
Owens pointed out that digital creators have successfully built profound levels of trust with massive, highly engaged audiences—demographics that legacy news institutions are increasingly struggling to reach through conventional linear channels. Through their combined efforts at Newpress, Owens and the founders hope to produce some of the most ambitious, insightful, and context-driven storytelling available, meeting contemporary audiences precisely where they consume media.
The co-founders of Newpress, Johnny and Iz Harris, shared a similar vision for the future of the company, framing it as a direct response to how modern audiences seek out and process information. They explained that Newpress was built upon the fundamental belief that people navigating an increasingly complex, fast-moving world want to learn about current events and global issues from human beings whom they genuinely trust. They noted that they have already witnessed the profound impact of this brand of journalism with their existing audiences, and that with the backing of Emerson Collective’s investment and the veteran leadership of Bill Owens, they are now uniquely positioned to scale this vision. The goal, according to the founders, is to build an entirely new type of media organization centered around innovative, trusted, and context-driven storytelling delivered at a broad scale.
Peter Lattman, managing director of media at Emerson Collective, echoed these sentiments, highlighting the complementary strengths of the startup’s leadership team. He described Johnny and Iz as exceptional entrepreneurs driven by the clear ambition to build the leading creator-led journalism company in the digital media landscape. Lattman praised Johnny Harris as a gifted storyteller with a rare knack for making complex, multifaceted subjects compelling and accessible to everyday viewers. Furthermore, he emphasized that by bringing Bill Owens on board, the founders are adding a world-class journalist who will inherently supply the uncompromising rigor and production excellence that defined his legendary tenure at 60 Minutes.
As Newpress prepares for its upcoming slate of show launches and continues to expand its creator roster under Owens’ editorial guidance, the startup stands as a prominent example of the growing convergence between traditional journalistic standards and the dynamic creator economy.